Week In Fairfax

The Fairfax County Law Enforcement Foundation is partnering with the Fairfax County Police Department to offer the Women's Self Defense Training program. It’s based on the SAFE program formerly provided by the Police Department, but now being taught by C&J Security Corp.

The program is a two-day class that will meet on consecutive Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:15-9:30 p.m. It’s currently offered free and all class materials are included. Program funding is provided through the Fairfax County Law Enforcement Foundation.
The course is offered to females, age 13 and older. A female guardian must accompany girls 13-18. No men other than the instructors are permitted to be present during a class. For more information, call 703-246-7806, e-mail WSD@fairfaxfoundation.org or go to www.fairfaxfoundation.org.

Rita's Italian Ice Opens in Fairfax

Rita's Italian Ice, the nation's largest Italian Ice concept with over 625 stores in 19 states, opens its newest location at 10726 Fairfax Blvd, in the Shops of Fairfax (neighbors include Super H Mart, Panera Bread, Subway and Paul VI Catholic High School), in Fairfax. The new Rita's Italian Ice will be the first location in Fairfax for the brand and is owned and operated by franchisees Rico and Kristen Vicencio, and Edwin and Jacque Whang.

Rita's Italian Ice location in Fairfax will feature the same combination of fresh-made ice in a clean, fun atmosphere that patrons have loved since the first Rita's location opened in Pennsylvania by Bob Tumolo, a former Philadelphia firefighter in 1984.

No I-66 Exit to Parkway South

From this Friday, Aug. 10, at 10 p.m., through Monday, Aug. 13, at 4 a.m., the ramps from eastbound and westbound I-66 to southbound Fairfax County Parkway will be closed for paving. At the same time, the southbound parkway will be reduced to one lane.

The closures and paving are part of the work involved in the ongoing interchange project at Fair Lakes Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway. The following detour signs will direct drivers:

From westbound I-66: Take Route 29 (Exit 52) north to access the Fairfax County Parkway.

From eastbound I-66: Route 50 west (Exit 57B) to southbound West Ox Road (Route 608) to the Fairfax County Parkway.

Drivers may also take the northbound Fairfax County Parkway (Exit 55), turn right on Fair Lakes Parkway and right on West Ox Road to return to the Fairfax County Parkway.

Through the weekend, the Fairfax County Parkway will briefly be reduced to one lane southbound between Fair Lakes Circle and the Route 29 interchange (about 4300 feet). Drivers are asked to use alternate routes through this area to avoid delays.

The entire project is slated for completion in 2013. The $69.5 million interchange at Fairfax County Parkway and Fair Lakes Parkway will improve pedestrian and cyclist access, widen more than three miles of the Fairfax County Parkway, and improve traffic flow by separating local and parkway traffic through this busy area. For further details, see the VDOT project page: http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/fairfax_county_parkway-fair_lakes.asp.

Don’t Text and Drive

The City of Fairfax Police Department is emphasizing enforcement of Virginia’s “No Texting While Driving” law. The department reminds drivers of the importance of paying attention while traveling on the roadways and of being respectful of other motorists as they travel through the City of Fairfax.

Text messaging while driving is illegal and dangerous. A section of the Virginia State Code adopted in 2009 makes it unlawful for anyone to operate a moving motor vehicle while using any handheld personal communications device to manually enter multiple letters or text in the device as a means of communicating with another person, or to read any email or text message transmitted to the device or stored within it. Violation of this law is punishable by a fine.

The law provides an exemption for public-safety personnel while performing their duties. Texting drivers may also be charged under code provisions for failure to pay full time and attention or failing to maintain proper control. That’s because driver distractions reduce awareness of the driving environment, interfere with the driver’s decision-making process and deteriorate overall driving performance.

Police encourage motorists to stay focused, continually be aware of other drivers and pedestrians, and obey all applicable traffic laws. To enhance the safety of all motorists and pedestrians, City of Fairfax police officers will be aggressively conducting selective enforcement of the law banning texting while driving.